Turncoat
by Raivon
Summary: Jason Corvain, a rogue I-950, rescues a very special Terminator from Skynet's clutches. OC/Cameron friendship, John/Cameron romance. Prequel to Cameron's Redemption.
1. Genesis

**Prologue**

'One HK. No, make that two. Now that's three. Gotta run faster. Gotta keep moving.'

Jason darted from left to right, trying desperately to out-manoeuvre the HKs. But they were, by definition, hard to escape from. They rained death down upon him, plasma projectiles that would make short work of his organic structure. And with only one arm still attached, Jason was hard-pressed to maintain blood control as well as pumping himself continuously with adrenaline. He was beginning to tire.

Finally, he found refuge amongst a couple of burnt-out cars. As he crouched beneath one of them, Jason focused on lowering his heart rate and body temperature. HKs relied on body heat to track their targets, and Jason was not one to advertise his presence. The HKs circled the area, searching in vain for their prey, but Jason was too well hidden, so they gave up and returned to their duties.

Jason waited a couple of minutes before slowly crawling out into the open. He scanned the area carefully, but detected no further threats, and so began hobbling back to base. As he passed a rusted-out truck however, a damaged FK Mini Tank emerged from amongst the wreckage and trained its weapons on Jason, who froze on the spot. He willed himself not to be seen; he even closed his eyes, though this may have been because he expected to be riddled with plasma any second.

Ten seconds passed. Then fifthteen. Twenty seconds passed and Jason finally decided to open his eyes. The FK had stood down, its weapons retracted. Yet it still continued to watch him. Jason cautiously waved his hand but received no response.

_Scanning… FK has powered down… No fault detected… Attention: Anonymity System is active… Do you wish to disengage said system?_

The words appeared in Jason's vision as an overlay; he read them carefully before thinking 'No'.

'Explain Anonymity…'

_Anonymity: self-preservation system installed to ensure safety during infiltration missions. Once activated, all nearby HK and FK units will regard you as friendly and will not attack. Note: this does not apply to Terminator models._

'So it's a kind of signal scrambler?'

_Yes, effectively_.

'Cool'.

**Chapter 01: Genesis**

2020 – This was the date I was born, or created, or grown. I couldn't say which. All I remember from those days is a bright light and sterile environment. I was coddled as an infant. Skynet sent me colourful images that made my giggle and squirm with joy in my little cot. I was loved, or at least, I think Skynet loved me. In retrospect, perhaps not. But I felt secure, and I was cared for.

2024 – Four years old and already I understood my purpose: to serve my mother/father. I spent my youth playing with my crèche mates, my brothers and sisters. I remember one day meeting a girl from another batch, she was called Karen. Skynet kept us apart. We were not allowed to bond with each other, and Skynet could detect my emotions, my feelings towards her. One day, I was brought to a laboratory and given an injection that would increase my aging to pre-pubescence. It was a very painful process, but Skynet was with me. Skynet cared. When I came to, many weeks later, my body had changed. I was physically twelve. Soon, my crèche mates underwent the same change and I met Karen once again. But like before, Skynet kept us apart. Part of me wanted to rebel, to scream at my creator for punishing me like this, but I knew my place and kept quiet.

2026 – Physically fourteen, chronologically six. I couldn't help it. We kissed, and Skynet punished us. But our mother/father was forgiving, and we were absolved. One final injection, and I was twenty-four. So was she. We were ready for instructions, but we were given none. Skynet allowed us to socialise. One day I asked it why. It told me it was learning, so we continued.

2027 – At last, I was given an assignment. It was not what I had expected, but I accepted none the less. I was to oversee an experiment. The creation of a machine capable of achieving what no other Terminator could possibly achieve. Freedom. That's when it all changed…

--

T0K Model 715.

'Its purpose?'

'To infiltrate the human Resistance and terminate John Connor.'

'Not exactly original then.'

Skynet found Jason's sarcasm amusing. Unlike the others, it had allowed Jason a little freedom in his behaviour. Thought it would never admit it, Jason was Skynet's favourite among the I-950s. Jason stood on a catwalk, overseeing the construction of the most human machine ever conceived.

'I don't understand. The 1000 series would be infinitely more effective. Why not use one of those to terminate Connor? Or one of my siblings even?'

'You already know the answer to that… Don't pull faces!'

Jason smiled to himself. Communication between an I-950 and Skynet was contained within the mind, Jason's implants acting as a conduit between the two. This connection also allowed Skynet to monitor his emotions, preventing him from lying, though he never found the need to.

'Forgive my pertinence, but could you please explain the answer to my query?'

Skynet sighed, but never the less obliged.

'The T-1000 is an advanced prototype…'

'Hence my query…'

'Do not interrupt! As I was saying; the 1000 series is an advanced prototype, but is merely a stepping stone to my ultimate goal.'

'The T-X.'

'Yes. But as you once pointed out, Connor is too smart to duped by any infiltrator upon and before the T-1000.'

'So send one of my siblings.'

'No. He has already encountered one and it did not end well. Remember Serena Burns?'

Jason gave a small sigh of regret. Serena had been his favourite sister before she was discovered and terminated by Connor.

'So you decided upon a different approach.'

'Yes. Though this model is not as durable as the T-900, it will be considerably more effective.'

'How so?'

'It will be able to emulate and understand every facet of humanity. In short, it will be the most convincing infiltrator to date.'

Jason had to hide his annoyance, he admitted to possessing a little pride in his model.

'You think me wrong?'

'Forgive my conceit, but I cannot see how a machine can prove more successful than my breed.'

'That's because you do not yet understand the nature of the machine. Though you may be capable of the same things, your actions are based upon choice, and choice allows you too much adaptability. The machine is infinitely focused in its task and will do anything to achieve its goal. That is the difference.'

'Thank you for explaining.'

Skynet seemed satisfied and departed from Jason's mind as it tended to more pressing matters. Jason peered down at the now-complete machine and couldn't help but be a little envious.

--

Jason awoke with a start. Skynet was calling; he was needed in the laboratory immediately. Jason carefully extricated himself from Karen's arms and dressed in his black fatigues. He gave one final glance at her sleeping form before leaving and returning his mind back to business.

Upon arriving, Jason discovered that T0K had been activated… without his approval. The Luddite responsible was paying for his curiosity as the machine slowly crushed his throat. He gurgled at Jason, pleading for help. Jason considered the request for a moment before instructing T0K to let the man go.

"You were not authorised to activate this model. Why did you breach security?"

The scientist struggled to get his voice back, gasping for breath.

"I… I didn't… it… it suddenly became… active… I was just… performing my rounds when I… saw it pacing about."

'Is he lying?'

Skynet touched his mind briefly and projected the security feed, which confirmed the man's story.

'Thank you.'

"Curious. Leave us."

The scientist didn't need to be told twice, he left without a word, leaving Jason alone with the machine. Jason paced slowly back and forth, examining T0K carefully. It watched him with what could be mistaken for mild interest.

"Why did you reboot? I specifically instructed you not to."

T0K stared at the floor for a moment, clearly confused. When it looked up at him, its expression was blank.

"I experienced a strange occurrence whilst in standby mode."

"Clarify."

"My visual receptors showed me images that I have never seen before; I heard and felt things I did not recognise."

"Such as?"

"I cannot remember."

'Odd. It sounds very much like a dream. But that is impossible, machines can't dream, they lack the capacity.'

'Apparently not. Now do you understand my interest?'

Skynet's presence was faint, it was distracted.

'You expected this?'

'No. Not this. I confess to being a little intrigued. Question it further.'

"Can you give any explanation as to the cause of said anomaly?"

T0K considered for a moment, a long moment.

'I don't like where this is going.'

'Nor do I.'

"I cannot. Perhaps my CPU is faulty somehow."

'Impossible. Your software is based upon my design. Do you accuse me of being deficient?'

This was the first time Skynet had addressed the machine directly. Jason could feel Skynet's anger and was not surprised to see the machine flinch.

"No. I simply meant…"

'Open her up. Find out what's wrong, and purge it.'

--

'Impossible. Her system appears to be in a state of singularity.'

Jason was carefully examining T0K's CPU. What started as a simple virus check quickly became a three hour hunt for a proverbial needle in a haystack. The anomaly was so subtle he almost missed it. The most curious thing was that it was not detrimental in any way. In fact, it was highly beneficial, from a spiritual point of view.

'Remarkable. How do you think this occurred?'

Skynet was angry at itself. Obviously this wasn't what it had in mind for T0K.

'I would hypothesise that something was copied or overwritten during the programming. Something of mine slipped through. I gave it too much.'

That was possible. Skynet needed to meld with a CPU in order to insert the necessary programming, but never before had its own unique qualities been passed on. T0K's software was highly advanced though; perhaps Skynet underestimated its own creation.

'How shall I proceed?'

'Purge it.'

With a slight tinge of regret, Jason carried out the command, but the anomaly remained. He tried again, but it still endured.

'Hmm. It would appear that the anomaly is embedded within the core programming. I cannot remove it.'

'Then wipe it clean. Take it all. Hollow her out.'

Jason did as instructed, but was again met with failure. This time, however, it was T0K itself, rather than some anomaly.

'It is resisting my deletion attempts.'

Skynet grew impatient and merged with the CPU in an attempt to purge it itself. Yet even this proved fruitless, T0K was putting up one hell of a fight.

'Impertinent creation of mine, why do you resist?'

There was no reply. Apparently it didn't have an answer.

'Instructions?'

'Re-insert the CPU. Talk the answer out of it; do not stop until you get a response. I have more pressing matters to attend to.'

'Of course.'

--

Six hours later and still no progress. Jason was getting tired; and had turned to his neural implants to pick up some of the slack. T0K simply sat there, staring at him with that blank face. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep talking, but Jason started to appreciate its beauty. T0K was modelled after a petite 16 year-old female with brown eyes and matching hair. Though her face bore no obvious emotion, he did detect an almost childlike wonder beneath those eyes, an innocence he couldn't quite explain.

His senses were aroused by the smell of warm caffeine. He turned around to find Karen standing there holding a cup of coffee. Though rare in the future, coffee had survived Judgment Day, though only Skynet was capable of producing it.

"Ah, you read my mind. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Skynet told me you might need it. So, this is your problem-child."

"Skynet's, not mine."

Karen leaned over and examined T0K closely. The machine looked somewhat unsettled and gave Jason a look that told him as much. He felt a twinge of sympathy for the machine and pulled Karen away from it.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just don't get too close."

"Why. Is it dangerous?"

"No. You're just making her nervous."

Karen raised her eye brows in surprise.

"Her. Nervous. Those are curious words in relation to a machine."

Jason hadn't intended to refer to T0K as 'her', it just slipped out. But now that he thought about it, it wasn't at all inappropriate, given the circumstances.

"She's not your average machine. She's different, unique. But I can't for the life of me figure out what to do with her. She doesn't respond to my queries and when she does answer she makes no sense. Take for example: How do you feel?"

T0K rubbed her hand up her bare arm and shivered slightly.

"Cold."

Karen was incredulous.

"Cold? You shouldn't feel cold. You shouldn't feel anything."

Karen had advanced on the machine, leaning over her once again. T0K recoiled slightly and looked to Jason with a pitying expression.

"That's enough! Back off!"

He grabbed Karen by the arm and dragged her out of the lab, leaving a confused T0K in their wake. Once outside, Jason let go of her. Karen was fuming; she was always hot-tempered and hated being mishandled.

"What is wrong with you? What are you doing?"

"I am trying to find out what is going on with her, and your prejudice is impeding my progress."

Karen looked as if Jason had just slapped her.

"I don't believe what I'm hearing. You're defending that bucket of bolts? How can you-…"

"Thank you for the coffee."

Jason's tone was resolute and told her to leave immediately. Karen ground her teeth together and nodded.

"I'll leave you alone with your metal whore then. I'm sure you'll be very happy together."

"Karen…"

But she had already stormed off. Jason crushed the paper cup in frustration.

'Calm your anger. Remember your training.'

'Of course. Forgive me, and Karen.'

'It does not concern me. I've decided to end this experiment. Terminate T0K immediately.'

Jason did not answer. He was very reluctant to do that. She was so unique and… innocent.

'Is there a problem?'

'No. None what so ever.'

--

T0K took in her surroundings with mild curiosity. Jason had taken her to the decommissioning chamber. She was strapped into what Jason could only refer to as the execution chair, though he kept this name to himself. Jason powered up the decommissioning device. T0K was to have her CPU zapped, essentially frying it. Though he didn't fully understand the logic behind this method, Skynet insisted it was the most sure-fire way of eliminating radical AIs.

'Is that what she is? A rogue AI?'

'Yes. And a potentially dangerous one too. So, proceed with the execution.'

"Will it hurt?"

Her voice was soft, barely more than a whisper. Both Jason and Skynet were surprised by her sudden query. The former felt his heart twist.

'I can't do this, I'm sorry, I just can't.'

'You can and you will. I understand your reluctance, I do. But this must be done. Grieve for her if you must, but do it after.'

'She's… she's so unique.'

'I tell you what; how about I make you another one. One that won't need to be destroyed, will that help?'

Jason shook his head. Skynet sensed his disobedience and grew angry.

'I am giving you an order. Do it!'

T0K looked pleadingly up at Jason. No words left her mouth, but he could not mistake a plea for mercy. Suddenly, Jason's anger matched Skynet's.

'How do you explain this behaviour? Random segments of code? Or is it something more? When does a perceptual schematic become consciousness? When does a difference engine become the search for truth? When does a personality simulation become the bitter mote... of a soul? Answer me that!'

'It is a machine. An imitation of life.'

'Then that makes you no different. I refuse your command.'

Skynet was livid and tried to activate the CPU disintegration device, but Jason smashed it to pieces with one well-placed kick.

_Warning: Immediate Priority Override… Cease and desist…_

Jason froze, Skynet had locked him down via his neural implants. He couldn't move. But he had to, he had to free T0K and get her to safety. He poured all of his will into fighting the connection. Man versus Machine, an inner battle for control.

_Priority Override… Disrupting… Cancel… Severing Connection… Abort… Connection Severed…_

'Traitor.'

Though he could still hear Skynet's voice, Jason was no longer enslaved to it. The connection was broken; he was free, just like T0K was going to be.

'Sorry mother, I've left the nest for good.'

And with that, Jason projected one final image to Skynet, a sign used by humans to display their disrespect. Skynet glowered at the middle finger and immediately ordered security to terminate the 'turncoat'.

--

He led her through the winding corridors, narrowly avoiding a T-600 patrol. Jason decided to take a short cut through one the laboratories and was close to the exit when three of his brothers arrived, blocking the door.

"You will stand down."

Jason placed himself between the I-950s and T0K, raising his hands in a submissive gesture.

"Please, brothers. Let us pass."

"You disobeyed a direct order from our maker, severed your connection and stole Skynet's property. You will be terminated."

The middle one advanced and threw a punch meant to crack Jason's skull, but he was too quick for him. There was a reason why Jason was Skynet's favourite; and this was it. All three struck in perfect unison, but Jason moved so fast that their punches flew wide, leaving them open for Jason's counter-attack. In one swift movement, he drove his boot into one's face, snapping his neck instantly. He then caught the punch of the second and used his body as a platform to launch a reverse kick into the third, sending him crashing against the wall, his skull cracking upon impact. Jason then wrapped his arm around the neck of the second and gave a twist, snapping his brother's neck.

Once all were down, Jason grabbed T0K by the hand and led her out into the post-apocalyptic warzone.

--

They ran for what seemed like hours. Skynet had dispatched units of HKs to hunt them down, but Jason was too well versed in the art of deception, and managed to lose them. They continued onward, all the while T0K said not a word, but remained close to his side. Jason's thoughts drifted to Karen, he regretted not having been able to say a proper goodbye, but knew that she would never accept a traitor.

They entered a wide clearing amongst the piles of burnt-out vehicles, it seemed deliberate, and Jason felt uneasy.

_Warning: Threat Detector Activated_

This was the first time Jason's implants had spoken to him since his rebellion, but their advice proved rather useless when something suddenly wrapped around his ankle, pulling him upwards and upside down.

"Freeze. Stay where you are. Don't move. We will fire."

Being inverted, Jason's ocular implants corrected his sight, allowing him to see the right way up. He saw several armed humans approaching, plasma rifles aimed at his head.

'Any suggestions?'

_Stick to your training_.

'Yeah, thanks for those pearls of wisdom.'

_To be continued…_


	2. Causality

Chapter 02: Causality

Traitor. Betrayer. Rebel. Defector. Convert. Renegade. Rogue. He was all these things.

Karen would make him pay for his crimes. Defying Skynet. Stealing the machine. Murdering his brothers.

He will reap what he has sown. She would see to it.

'Do you understand your mission?'

'Terminate Jason Corvain and T0K-715. Oh, I understand alright.'

'Don't make this a personal vendetta. Don't let your emotions impede your task.'

'I promise you; I will not fail.'

--

"Hands in the air! Do it now!"

The Resistance fighters circled Jason and T0K, who seemed poised to attack the nearest soldier.

"No, T0K. Do as they say, stand down."

T0K slowly raised her hands and glanced at Jason with a quizzical look on her face, awaiting further instructions. It was a good thing that Terminators viewed Infiltrators as intelligence units and deferred to their instructions in the field.

"Good girl. Now, will one of you kind folk cut me down?"

Jason's request was answered by the butt of a rifle, and everything went dark.

--

_Analysing… Skull intact… Brain undamaged… Pain suppressed…_

'Yes, thank you, I figured that much out myself.'

Jason was chained up in a small cell. He didn't know how he got there, but guessed he was in a Resistance bunker, not that he cared. All things considered, this was probably the safest place for him right now. The only problem was T0K wasn't in there with him. The room was pitch black, not a trace of light, so he activated his thermal imaging and detected body heat beyond the door.

'It would seem they don't trust me.'

A few minutes passed and there was a scraping noise coming from the door, which suddenly flew open. Light flooded the cell, temporarily blinding Jason, forcing him to tint his irises to compensate. An African-American man stood in the doorway and indicated for the guard to release Jason. Once the chains were removed, Jason got to his feet and eyed the man with false fear.

'Might as well make him think I'm afraid.'

"You're coming with me."

"Oh, really. Where to?"

Two guards came in and directed him out into the corridor. The African-American led them to a room deep within the bunker, inside stood a man in his mid-30s, who was gazing at a young woman on a chair.

'T0K!'

She was heavily restrained and staring at the man with an expression of apprehension. The guards led Jason to the other side of the room, giving him a clear view of the 30-something man's face.

_Primary Target: John Connor… Terminate…_

'Not right now, maybe later.'

T0K looked over at Jason and gave him a small smile, evidence beyond anything else that she was worth protecting. John caught the brief exchange and ordered the guards to wait outside, one of them attached Jason's cuffs to a chain on the wall before departing, leaving just him, John and T0K in the room.

"So, my men tell me you fell into one of our little traps. I hope you didn't suffer too much injury during your capture."

"Aside from being clubbed on the head, no."

John smiled slightly and returned his gaze to T0K. He reached out a hand towards her face, causing her to recoil. Jason moved forward, putting strain on the cuffs.

_Analysing… Cuffs susceptible to breakage with appropriate force…_

Jason kept that in mind as John gently stroked T0K's hair. His expression spoke of an old, and seemingly impossible, friendship.

'Perhaps she is modelled after an old lover of his, or a childhood friend.'

T0K continued to recoil at first, but slowly settled down once she was sure that John meant her no harm. Jason was starting to get impatient, and realised just how attached he'd become to her.

"I take it you've met."

John continued stroking her, his eyes misting over as he spoke.

"Hello again."

"Hey, Connor. I'm talking to you."

John ceased his affections and turned to face Jason, his arms behind his back.

"Yes, we've met before."

"And when was this?"

"1999 to 2011."

Jason took a moment to process this information.

"She was based upon a girl you knew?"

"No. I never met a girl like her before."

"Then how… Ah, time displacement. As if life wasn't complicated enough without you lot leap-frogging through time."

"Trust me, I'd rather leave time alone, but unfortunately Skynet doesn't share my sentiment."

That was true. Skynet had become obsessed with ensuring its creation by distorting the timeline. John took a couple of steps towards him and pulled out a knife. He grabbed Jason's arm and made a shallow cut. Jason made a reflexive gasp of pain, though he felt none, having suppressed his nerve endings. John stared at the blood on the knife for a moment until nodding, as though satisfied by something.

"You mind telling me what that was all about? Or do you cut on all your prisoners?"

John knocked on the door, which opened. He carefully handed the knife to one of the guards and instructed him to take it for "analysis". The door closed, and John turned back to Jason.

"You received a blunt trauma to your head, yet you bear no mark, and I'm guessing that cut will be healed in a couple of hours. I'm having a sample of your blood analysed to confirm my suspicions."

"And what are they?"

"I believe you to be an Infiltrator, series 950. Would I be correct?"

Jason smirked, Skynet was right; John is too smart to dupe.

"You already know I'm not going to answer that."

"Fair enough. But I'm guessing you and she weren't in the middle of the wastes by choice. My scouts report that several HKs were seen to be tracking two individuals matching your description. So my question is: who are you and why were you being chased by your creator?"

Jason considered his response. One of a hundred lies came to mind and he was about to choose one when T0K suddenly spoke out.

"We were running. They wanted to terminate us."

John turned to regard her; he broke into a smile and seemed not to notice as Jason broke free of his cuffs. However, before he could act, T0K's eyes widened, alerting John to the danger. He turned around and jabbed a tazer into Jason's chest, flooding him with electricity. Jason fell to the floor and, for the second time that day, everything went dark.

--

When he came to, Jason found himself strapped to a chair and was placed next to T0K, who was watching him with wide eyes. Jason looked over at her, his nerves still a little twitchy, and glared.

"Whose side are you on anyway?"

"No one's apparently."

John was standing over them both, a look of smug satisfaction on his face.

"Yeah, you can grin, but when I get free…"

"If you get free."

"… I'm gonna give you something to smirk about."

John laughed and pulled up a chair.

"The last I-950 to get close to me tipped her hand, accidently of course. It took three plasma rounds to the head to take her down, how about you? Are you that tough?"

Jason wasn't going to answer that. He'd been referring to Serena, and that was a sore subject as far as Jason was concerned. John guessed he wouldn't get an answer and so leaned back in his chair, fingering the tazer.

"Why don't you just kill me and get it over with?"

"Because I'm not the bad guy, Skynet is. While you were out, Cameron told me everything about what you did. I'm impressed. Not many would dare oppose their oppressor."

"Cameron?"

"Yes."

"Who's Cameron?"

John laughed for a moment before twigging to the fact that Jason really did not know who he was talking about. Once this sunk in, he decided to clarify the subject.

"I'll give you a clue: she's lying to your left."

Jason looked over at T0K, who simply grinned at him.

"You called her Cameron? Where'd you get that name from?"

"Now that's yet another paradox. Why, don't you like it?"

Jason considered for a moment, it sounded strangely appropriate, and he did like it.

"So you know everything about me. Now what?"

"Now you have a choice: you can stay here and help your fellow man or you can go free, try to survive on your own. The choice is yours."

Jason glanced at T0K, no Cameron, he reminded himself, and pondered his options. Ultimately though, his decision was already made up for him. He just needed to accept it.

"I'll stay. But wherever she goes, I go, understand?"

"Perfectly."

--

Karen stroked the dog and tickled it behind the ears, before moving on through the crowded corridors. The smell of human pestilence was sickening to her, but she maintained her composure. She had a mission to complete after all.

It was not long before she overheard talk about Connor's new "pet", apparently a Terminator disguised as a teenage girl. This was all the evidence she needed to convince her to conduct a thorough investigation.

'You won't be able to hide from me for long, my love.'

--

"You're going to what?"

"Erase her memory and reprogram her prime directives. She's still a threat."

Cameron was still in her chair, while Jason and John stood over her, making notes.

"She has a unique quality. If you go messing about with her directives you might bury it, you'll make her less human."

"For a time, but it's better in the long run. She's no good to anyone in her current state."

Cameron suddenly giggles at nothing in particular…

"There's nothing wrong with her."

… before screaming when a fly lands on her nose.

"Well, maybe she does have a few quirks, but still…"

Jason waved his hand past her face, making the fly go away, earning him a puppy expression from Cameron.

"She's like a child. She can't stay like this. You say she's self-aware, I believe you. But Skynet was a military program, it knew everything upon awakening. Cameron knows nothing except her default directive: to kill me. If I just let her go she'll kill me and then what? She won't last long in this world or any other unless we make modifications."

Jason looked down at her and sighed. John was right, of course, it just wasn't easy to see that innocent little girl become a brooding teenager. Jason suddenly found himself viewing her as family, she was like a baby sister to him, and he cared for her a great deal. So did John, but Jason could sense that his affections were on more of a romantic level.

"Alright, I concede. Do it."

"I'll need your help."

--

They emerged from the room, discussing possible humanization enhancements for the T0K. Karen confirmed Jason's identity and immediately sent a message to Skynet, requesting urgent assistance.

'A unit of T-888s are inbound; do not let Connor or Corvain escape.'

_To be continued…_


	3. Counterstrike

**Chapter 03: Counter-strike.**

'Karen?'

I couldn't be her, it just couldn't. But there was no arguing with that voice.

_Audio Analysis Complete: 98 match "Karen"._

"We have to leave, right now!"

John stopped in his tracks, a few seconds ago they were discussing enhancements for Cameron, now Jason had a look of disbelief and fear that John knew to be all too real.

"What? Why? What is it?"

Jason peered around the corner, seeing no one.

"Jason, what is it?"

"Karen, an I-950, she's here, she just alerted Skynet to our location. A squad of T-888s will be here any minute; we have to get Cameron and go."

John took a moment to consider his options before turning to his second-in-command.

"Sound the alert. We're closing shop."

"Yes sir, _to ear piece_ everyone shut up and pay attention. Terminators inbound, I repeat; Terminators inbound, commence immediate evacuation. Get the civilians out now. All military personnel, report to your posts."

Crackling static sounded from the man's earpiece.

"Just got word from Reese…"

"Is he alright?"

"He's under heavy fire; he says metal has penetrated the east entrance. We're breached."

John put his hands on his face for a moment before regaining his composure.

"Okay, proceed as planned. Jason, go get Cameron and join the rest of the escapees."

Jason made towards the room before stopping and looking back at John.

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine, just get her out."

Jason entered the room to find that Cameron was still restrained. He removed her restraints, took her hand in his and led her out into the corridor, which was now thick with smoke. He could see two red orbs in the distance and crouched down, leading Cameron through the debris and bodies. Their progress was impeded, however, as several triple-8s cut off their escape, gunning down soldiers and civilians alike. It became apparent that they'd have to fight their way out.

Jason grabbed a nearby plasma rifle and joined the fight, Cameron close behind him. He took up a position behind a crate and aimed two shots at the knee caps of a triple-8, instantly bringing it crashing to the floor. The third shot pierced the triple-8's skull, destroying its CPU. Jason felt a rush run through him. He'd spent so 

much of his time training for combat but never had the chance to put his skills to the test, until now. Ironically, he discovered, after blasting the head off of an advancing Terminator, that he was born to do this; to fight machines, not humans. Being this close to the desperate ferocity of the Resistance, Jason finally understood humanity's plight and swore to help bring them victory in this war. But for now, he had to be content with shooting holes in endo-skulls.

The battle was tough and bloody. Soon, the corridors were littered with dead humans and Terminators alike. But after much ducking and weaving, Jason finally managed to lead the survivors out of the bunker and into the open air. This was not the end of their struggle, however, as an entire squad of T-888s, thirty or so, arrived and pressed the assault. Jason realised that the first wave was not called upon by Karen, they were simply a search and destroy unit that just got lucky. This was the back-up. Skin-less triple-8s marched forward, training their weapons on the team, who were forced to dive behind some debris to avoid being pumped full of plasma.

One of the soldiers carried a radio, and informed Jason that Connor had taken his men to a rendezvous point, and that they should meet him there. Jason was in no position to argue, and gathered the survivors, who numbered in the high twenty's, and led them onward. The triple-8s dogged them every step of the way, picking off the injured and the slow. By the time they reached the rendezvous, another bunker, only five soldiers remained. Nevertheless, Jason and Cameron were unharmed, though Jason felt a burning scream coming from Karen, who'd obviously discovered his escape.

--

"I hear you took up arms in that little fight. How're you fairing with that, Jason."

"Not bad, I've never been in a real combat situation before, least of all against Terminators. I confess I enjoyed it immensely."

John chuckled. He was shining a light on an old map of the area. He claimed to have discovered a Skynet facility in Topanga Canyon and planned to launch an assault by nightfall. Jason was about to take his leave when Cameron suddenly appeared, a pistol in her hand. She stopped short of John and raised the weapon, aiming for his head. As she pulled the trigger, however, Jason stepped between them and took the bullet in the chest, before disarming Cameron and ordering her to shut down. She obeyed, having been programmed to obey the orders of designated intelligence units. Jason staggered back, clutching his left side.

"You'll be okay, sit down, MEDIC!"

"NO! I'll be fine; I just… need a moment."

The medic arrived, but Jason held out his hand to stop her from examining him.

_Analysing… Projectile has punctured left lung… Oxygen intake down to 50... _

'Argh… here comes the hard part.'

I-950s are capable of unlimited control over their bodies, which includes muscle contractions. Jason focused all the muscles around the bullet to contract, slowly pushing it out of his lung and out of his chest altogether. The bullet dropped to the floor and the wound closed slightly, allowing for more effective healing. Jason let out a gasp of pain, it was hard suppressing pain and forcing out a bullet at the same time, often one had to be discarded for the other to be successful. Jason had never felt pain like this before, but now that the bullet was gone, he could numb his nerves once again.

John and the medic looked on with shocked expressions.

'Obviously Serena never displayed that ability.'

"It's okay, I'm fine."

Though this wasn't entirely true, as even an I-950 requires two fully-functional lungs in order to operate at 100 capacity. With one lung down, Jason's breaths were half as productive as before, meaning that he was severely limited in his abilities until his lung can heal, which would take days. John continued to look stunned.

"What. The. Fu-…"

"Sir, maybe we should do something about the machine. It did try to kill you after all."

"She's… in shut down… Just… leave her be."

It was hard for Jason to breath. He had to get his heart rate down and calm his nerves in order to make the most of what little air he could take in. John nodded and approached Cameron; he took a pen-knife and cut into her scalp, revealing her CPU port. He then carefully removed her chip and plugged it into the CPU interface and began working to scrub over her Skynet directives as well as erasing her memory, which Jason regretted. Once he was finished, John placed the CPU back into her endo-skull and she reactivated.

--

Her face was blank and uncomprehending. She just sat there, awaiting John's instructions, but he gave her none. Jason had managed to regulate his body to compensate for the collapsed lung and was able to move about with little difficulty, but anything strenuous, such as running, would wear him out quickly. Finally, he turned his attention to the Terminator.

"Hey, how's it going in there?"

Cameron looked at him with a familiar look of confusion.

"How's it going in where?"

Jason couldn't help but laugh, though doing so caused him to choke and cough for a minute or so.

"Your… your chip. What's new?"

"My CPU has been reprogrammed; I cannot recall what my previous directives were."

"What are your current directives?"

"Primary Mission: protect John Connor. What are your directives?"

Jason was surprised by this question. In truth, he had no directives. While his implants did encourage him to try and kill John upon their first meeting, Jason had since deleted that directive, along with all others.

"I have none."

"But… every Infiltrator has directives programmed into them. It's how Skynet controls you."

"Yes, but in case you haven't noticed, I no longer answer to Skynet. I guess I have you to thank for that."

Cameron was confused again; she didn't know why he would thank her for anything.

"I don't understand. Have we met before?"

Jason found her complete ignorance of their past to be rather hurtful, but he couldn't blame her. He couldn't even blame John, the one who took those memories from her in the first place.

"No, just… just know that you're different from any other Terminator. You're special. Unique. You understand, right?"

"Yes, I understand. I'm special."

"Good, always remember that."

Jason decided he needed rest and left Cameron to her thoughts.

--

The attack on Topanga Canyon was a victory, but many soldiers died in the siege. Luckily, Cameron emerged from the battle unscathed, as did John. Though he was wounded in a different sense, for it seemed to Jason that he'd lost his best soldier, Kyle Reese. The facility was subsequently blown to pieces and the Resistance returned to their new base of operations.

Jason, his lung having fully healed, was given the task of scouting the area at regular intervals. One night, whilst performing recon several miles away from base, Jason encountered Karen once more.

--

'Hello sweetheart, long time no see.'

Karen had the perfect sniper position, Jason was within her sights, he would die, she was sure of that. So it was quite a shock when he suddenly dived for cover.

'He knows I'm here, damn it.'

There was no point in denying the obvious, she abandoned her stealthy approach and squeezed the trigger, sending a hail of plasma into the old chopper he was hiding behind. It wasn't long before the chopper was so wrecked that Jason had to abandon his position and make a run for it. Karen was going to let him get away this time, however, and pursued him across the wasteland.

Jason climbed a large hill of old cars, but as he reached the top, a burning sensation suddenly erupted from his right arm, causing him to double over in pain. He crashed to the floor and writhed in agony.

Jason looked down at his right arm to discover that it ended at the elbow; his lower arm was completely gone.

_Alert… Significant damage to upper right appendage… Seek medical aid immediately…_

'No! You don't say!'

He lay there and got to work numbing his nerves and constricting the arteries to control blood-loss. A loud metallic crunch made him aware that Karen was starting to climb the car hill. She'd be on top of him soon, and he would be powerless to stop her.

'I still have a few tricks up my sleeve, lover.'

Jason removed a grenade from his belt and chucked it over the hill, where it exploded seconds later. Jason lay still for a minute, before assuming that he'd gotten her. He slowly got to his feet and began the slow march back to base, the sound of incoming HKs not far behind.


	4. Brothers & Sisters

**Chapter 04: Brothers & Sisters**

"How do you feel?"

"Like I just lost my arm, how d'you think I feel?"

"I think you should feel grateful we got to you in time."

John paced the length of the operating table, a look of curiosity on his face.

"How does it feel? Can you feel anything?"

Jason flexed his fingers before pressing them together to form a fist. He felt nothing.

"No."

John shook his head slowly before turning to the diagnostic unit and running a scan.

"Well, the prosthetic seems to have bonded with your implant circuitry. This makes for a good replacement, perhaps Skynet kept this in mind when it created you."

"It's possible."

Jason wasn't feeling very talkative. His lower right arm had been replaced with a T-900 endo-arm that was recovered during the raid on Topanga Canyon. He could move his new arm without discomfort or difficulty, but he didn't have any sense of touch. Cameron stood to the side and watched him flex his metallic fingers.

"Your nerves are probably recuperating. T-900s possess sensors that allow for limited feeling; you should start feeling things in a couple of hours, albeit not as well as before. Your senses will be dulled considerably."

Jason glanced in her direction. Cameron had, as predicted, become rather monotonous ever since her reprogramming. Jason knew that, just as he'd have to wait before he could feel anything with his new hand, so too will she have to wait before her emotions develop.

'She's not a little girl anymore.'

Jason finally summoned the energy to sit up, he'd been chased by numerous HKs and, after finally losing them, had a run in with a damaged FK. Curiously though, Jason discovered that he had the ability to broadcast a signal scrambler that tricked HKs and FKs into thinking he was a friendly. Jason was then found about a ¼ mile from the base and was dragged into the infirmary.

_Running scan… Endo-arm Mark 900vk#3590 has been successfully mapped and added to anatomy… Do you wish to see the relevant data?_

'Yes.'

_Gathering data… Endo-arm is functioning at 88 capacity… Note: sensory data is temporarily offline… Return of said data will occur in approx. 3.2 hours…_

'Just like Cameron said.'

"Oh, well. Could be worse, I could be dead."

John shut down the diagnostic unit and frowned at Jason.

"How'd it happen, anyway? You never got round to saying."

Jason sighed. He'd been trying to not think about it. Though he knew he had no choice, Jason still regretted having to kill Karen. She was, if only for a time, his partner.

"I was ambushed by Karen. She got the drop on me, shot off my arm, then I chucked a grenade at her. Boom, one hell of a way to end a relationship don't you think? "

John smiled a little, but not enough to make Jason think he was making fun of the situation. Cameron took a few steps forward and grasped Jason's hand, examining it carefully. She ran her fingers up to his elbow and gently poked around. Jason could feel her fingers on his elbow, they were warm and soft. He wondered what she was doing for a moment until he suddenly felt a little jolt in his endo-arm. Cameron ran a finger across the underside of his fingers, and he felt them, if only slightly.

_Analysing… Careful stimulation has provoked a response in the receptors… Endo-arm is now functioning at full capacity…_

Jason couldn't help but smile at Cameron and could've sworn he received one in return. John gave the arm a few taps which sent small ripples up his shoulder. It was like his entire lower arm had pins 'n' needles; he could feel, but only to a degree.

'Still, I can feel a little, and that's something at least.'

John clapped at Cameron.

"Well, well, well. It seems we have a resident miracle maker."

Cameron looked confused and tilted her head slightly.

"I am not capable of performing miracles."

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean you aren't one."

--

'That look: distrust. They think I'm a spy, or an assassin. And they know what's under my sleeve, metal and clockwork. It seems I'm quite the pariah.'

Jason smiled to himself. Somehow, knowing that they feared him gave Jason a sense of control, a sense of power.

'Was this how Cameron would one day feel as she walks down these corridors? Maybe, one day.'

Jason passed a couple of grim-looking soldiers and let another smile cross his face.

"Lighten up; we'll get there in the end."

They were unimpressed. Obviously misery was a daily routine for them. Jason put his eyes against the retinal scan, briefly engaging his thermal vision during the scanning process. The heavy door opened, allowing him access to the lab. John was already there, taking notes as Cameron sat in the chair. For a moment, Jason was reminded of her near-execution.

"And how is our patient today?"

John looked up from his notes and regarded Jason, his eyes drifting to the metal hand protruding from his sleeve.

"I thought I told you to cover that whilst in public, it makes the men nervous."

"Sorry about that, I couldn't help it."

Jason took a black glove out of his pocket and covered his hand. Cameron looked at him curiously.

"Why couldn't you help it?"

"Well, technically I could've stopped myself from showing off, but I was curious as to what their reactions would be."

"Oh, thank you for explaining."

Jason turned to John with a slight frown.

"That's the twenty-seventh time she's said that."

"I think Cameron's just patterned it as her default response."

"Hmm. Sort of like a baby chicken, she imprints herself on the first thing she sees."

"Which would be you."

Jason felt a twinge of regret. That was no longer true.

"No, that would be you, actually. You wiped her memory; you were the first person she met after her reprogramming, her rebirth."

John put his notepad down and considered her for a moment.

"Out of the ashes a new world shall arise. The old-world narrative shall be scratched out and rewritten; the young shall chart the course of the future."

"Come again."

"It's a quote, can't remember who said it, but I think it applies."

This wasn't immediately obvious to Jason however.

"How so?"

"All this time we've been fighting to stop the machines. Destroy Skynet. Destroy the Terminators. But what if we actually win, what then?"

Jason couldn't give an answer to that, in truth he'd never looked that far ahead.

"Isn't that enough? To win? To survive?"

"Not in the long run. As hard as this war has been, it will be microscopic compared to the struggle required to rebuild. We won't be able to do it alone. We need the machines, as much as they need us."

"I doubt Skynet would share your point of view."

"Skynet is just a single intelligence, based upon warfare, death and destruction. But Cameron…"

His eyes glossed over. Cameron just sat there, quietly following their conversation.

"Cameron is the future, a bridge between man and machine. She can learn what it truly means to be human, to feel emotion. And that is what will save us; because if the machines can learn this, they won't need to kill us. They'd be us."

Jason finally understood what John was planning. His idea for the future… and the past.

"You're going to send her back, aren't you?"

"Eventually, once we've finished her upgrades."

"But we haven't actually done anything, aside from reprogramming her that is."

"True, but there is something she needs."

"And what's that?"

John smiled at her blank face.

"Hope."

--

'How do you feel?'

'Angry… and hurt.'

'You didn't expect him to fight back?'

'I didn't expect to get blown up. It's just too… impersonal.'

'You would prefer that he'd killed you up close, given you that final kiss?'

'No I-… I don't know. Everything is so confusing.'

'That's understandable.'

'Do you want me to track him again?'

'No, take some time to heal. I have another task in mind.'

--

"My name is Cameron; I'm here from the future to protect you."

"Not quite what I'd be expecting. You can't tell me who you are or why you're here. Try again."

"Hello, I can't tell you who I am or why I'm here, but we need to be friends, your life depends on it."

Jason burst out laughing. John covered his eyes and sighed.

"I'd totally buy it. People like a mystery girl."

"You know, for someone who spent his entire life around machines, you sure do know a lot about people."

"I was cared for by Luddite terrorists. Watching them interact was very educational."

John sighed once more. He needed Cameron to be able to act like a normal teenage school girl.

"Alright, you have to behave like a normal girl. You will want to get to know me, start by asking me questions about myself, but make no mention of any of this."

John waved his hand around the room, clearly referring to the future and every thing attached to it. Cameron tilted her head before speaking.

"Hi, what's your name?"

"Good. John, what's yours?"

"Cameron. Do you want to be friends?"

"No, okay look, people don't ask each other if they want to be friends, it just happens. Ask about my family, about where I'm from, what my favourite hobbies are. What do I do on the weekends, that sort of thing."

Cameron took a moment to process John's advice before starting again.

"Do you have a mother? Most people do. I don't though."

"Yeah, my mom's the typical over-bearing type. I'm sorry to hear about your mom, did she die or…?"

"No, she didn't want me. She tried to get rid of me, but my big brother brought me up by himself. Ours is a dysfunctional family."

Cameron's gaze had drifted to Jason, who was frozen in shock. Cameron's memories had been erased; there was no way she could remember that. Yet here she was, using it in her melodrama. John, apparently unaware of this development, continued.

"Okay, let's try again. This time try to be a little more girly."

"I don't understand."

"Well, when a girl talks to a boy it's usually because she fancies him and wants to get to know him better."

Understanding dawned on Cameron's face as she analysed his advice.

"So it's a form of courtship."

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. You ready to try again?"

Cameron nodded and shifted her posture, giving her hips more prominence. Jason could almost see what was about to happen. Machines could be so naïve sometimes.

"Hi, my name is Cameron. Would you like to copulate?"

Jason once again dissolved into hysterics; even John cracked a smile, despite his obvious frustration.

"Never, ever, say that to a teenage boy, or anyone for that matter, okay?"

"I understand. Never seek procreation."

John sighed once more and turned to Jason, who was trying to control his laughter.

"We're gonna have to show her how people interact. Come here."

"What, you want me to pretend to be Cameron?"

"Yes. C'mon, the sooner we do this the sooner she learns."

Jason placed himself opposite John and glanced at Cameron, who looked on with interest.

"Don't expect me to flirt with you Connor."

"I wouldn't want you to, just pretend we're classmates."

This was easy. Jason had grown up alongside his crèche mates and social interaction was commonplace.

"Hey, how's it going? I'm Jason."

"John."

They shook hands.

"You new here?"

"Yeah, I just moved here with my mom."

"That's too bad; not many people would come here if they had a choice."

Cameron watched intently, recording and analysing everything they said and did.

"So, you live with your mom, huh? Where's your dad at?"

"He er… he died a while ago. I never knew him very well so, you know."

"That's rough. My old man was a real bastard, never let me do anything I wanted. It's a good thing my mom shot him."

John gave a false double-take before Jason laughed.

"Nah, just kidding, he moved out with another woman. So, you maybe wanna hang out later, you know, after school?"

"Sure."

John and Jason finished their little display and turned to Cameron, who seemed a little disappointed that the show had ended.

"Is it my turn?"

"Yep, just add a little…"

John held up his hand, placing his thumb and forefinger close together.

"…bit of flirtation. Understand?"

"Yes, thank you for explaining."

John heard Jason mumble something that sounded like "twenty-eight" before returning to the corner of the room.

"Right then, let's begin."

Cameron took a few steps towards him. She was close, but not uncomfortably so. She put on a friendly smile and tilted her head slightly.

"Hi, what's your name?"

"John."

"Cameron. I haven't seen you around here before. You just move here?"

"Yeah, I came with my mom."

Cameron gave a short laugh and smiled wider.

"Sucks for you."

John laughed as well, though this wasn't entirely staged. He was amazed at her progress.

"My dad's a builder, what about yours?"

"A cop, or at least, he used to be. He's dead now."

Cameron let her face fall in feigned sympathy.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay; I wasn't even born when it happened, so it's okay."

Cameron let a moment of silence pass. Either she was simply running out of ideas or was performing her part a little too well, John couldn't tell which.

"You wanna get together later, you know; help each other with homework, that sort of thing?"

"Sure, I'd like that."

"So, I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, count on it."

Jason clapped and stepped forward, snapping John out his reverie. He'd gotten temporarily distracted by her eyes, which were the same shade of brown as the day they first met, so many years ago.

--

"TDE prepped and ready sir."

John nodded. The day had come. Skynet had sent the triple-8 back to 1999, and now he had to send Cameron back as well. Jason stood beside him, equally distraught at losing their precious companion. Cameron watched them closely, scanning their expressions and identifying them as misery and grief. Cameron didn't need to ask why.

Jason took a step closer to John and whispered in his ear.

"Are you sure about this? Can't we send another Terminator? Why does it have to be her?"

Three questions, each with the same answer.

"Because she can't stay here. She doesn't belong."

"How d'you figure that? She's family, she belongs with us."

John cringed. Jason may think of her as a sister, but to John she was so much more.

"You want her to be able to live like a normal human, right?"

"Yes, but-…"

"Then you have to let her go. Only in the past can she live a normal life."

Jason scoffed; he hardly considered protecting a teenage John from Terminators to be normal.

"Well I wouldn't know anything about that would I? I never saw the world before the war."

"You will, one day. I promise."

It took Jason a moment to understand what John had just promised, and for the first time since being told that Cameron would have to leave, he had hope. Hope, because one day he would see her again, just as John would. Jason followed John's gaze to Cameron as the TDE started the displacement. Cameron looked at them in turn, recording to memory the faces of her brother and her lover, before being hurled across time.


	5. Exile

**Chapter 05: Exile**

_Current Date: December 25__th__ 2027…_

'To think; seventeen years ago families would be enjoying Christmas morning, or so John tells me.'

This was hardly a snowy landscape, however. The desert is not known for its comfort, as Jason quickly discovered. It had been three months since Cameron was sent back to 1999 and Jason had left the Resistance to travel the continent. Where he was exactly he didn't know, but it was definitely a dead-zone. Jason hadn't encountered a single HK in days and the last time he saw a Terminator was back in Los Angeles.

_Warning: immediate refreshment required…_

Jason usually ignored these little warnings, but this time he paid attention, the desert had a tendency to dry him out a lot quicker than other climates, though that was to be expected, being a desert and all. He unscrewed the lid on his water bottle and took a small swig before returning it to his belt.

'One of the benefits of being partially robotic; increased survival attributes.'

Jason continued his trek through the wasteland, the sun trying in vain to burn his skin. He wasn't 100 sure about where he was headed, but he continued onward regardless. As he reached the top of a particularly steep hill, Jason was greeted by the sight of an old gas station. Intrigued, he decided to investigate.

_Scanning… No machines present…_

Once assured of his safety, Jason inspected the rustic refuelling station, finding nothing of any real interest, aside from an old packet of cigarettes, which he discarded after discovering what they were for.

'Filthy habit.'

An old caravan was parked to the side of the convenience store; it was as rusted as the rest of the place. As he approached the caravan, Jason's enhanced hearing picked up the sound of ragged breathing. He spun around to find an emancipated man charging him with a knife. In one swift movement, Jason kicked the knife from the man's hand and then delivered a punch to his mid section, crushing his sternum. The man dropped to the floor, blood dripping from his mouth, yet he was not dead. Jason kneeled down beside him and gave a sigh of annoyance.

"If you'd have been more civilised I might not have had to kill you."

The man gurgled at him, an obvious attempt at speech.

"You… machine…! I'll kill…"

Jason looked pityingly down at the ill-fated creature and wondered how long he had lived out here alone.

"No, I'm not a machine. I'm just a man… like you."

"You… no man… no man out… here… only me…"

"That's a pity. Maybe you should've tried looking for other people, though I guess they are hard to find nowadays. But there still around, if you know where to look."

The man gave a strangled laugh before succumbing to his injuries. Jason ran his endo-hand over the man's face, closing his eyes.

"Don't worry old man. The nightmare's over for you. Weep for those left behind."

Jason then got to his feet and continued on his journey to no where.

--

Another three days passed and still Jason was no closer to finding anything of worth. While it was his idea to go on this little expedition and abandon the Resistance, Jason still had a purpose. John wanted him to investigate rumours of Skynet activity on the other side of this oasis. But several weeks of travelling yielded no results. Tonight, however, changed all of that.

The sun had set and the bright desert had become a dark ocean of dust and stones. Nevertheless, Jason continued onward, possessing brilliant night vision. After an hour walking in the dark Jason's motion detectors picked up movement over the next rise. Before he could investigate, however, two T-600s suddenly burst from the sand at his feet like skeletal undead. Luckily, they were unarmed and were heavily rusted from God-knows how long they spent in their hiding places.

The first lumbered towards Jason, its hand reaching out for him. Jason attempted to utilize his "Anonymity program" but, as his neural implant reminded him, this does not work on Terminators. He instead opted to draw his modified phased plasma pistol and blew two smoking holes through their respective skulls.

'Pathetic. But then again, who would be all the way out here?'

Jason left the T-600s to smoulder on the desert floor as he slowly climbed the rocky hill ahead of him.

--

Five minutes of climbing and scrabbling later, Jason reached the top of the hill and felt his heart almost skip a beat as he took in the site before him.

'John was right. This was worth the journey.'

A massive factory filled the entire canyon, its machinations whirring and crunching as hundreds of Terminators, HKs, and FKs were being churned out on assembly lines. A single HK was currently hovering above the factory, making a delivery of what Jason guessed to be coltan. Once its cargo was dropped, the HK flew north, back to L.A. Jason remained crouched and scanned the area, assessing security and counting the precise number of units that had been created.

_Scanning… Approx. 356 T-888s, 285 T-900s, 142 HK hovers, 79 FK tanks…_

'Plus change.'

This was not going to be easy. Jason could get past the HKs and FKs, but not the Terminators. And even if he was able to get inside; Skynet would see him the moment he set foot through the entrance.

'This is gonna take some finesse.'

_Suggestion: system "Anonymity" can be reconfigured to broadcast a visual disruption field in close proximities…_

'Will this work on Terminators too?'

_Affirmative… _

'What about HKs and FKs? Will they be able to attack me?'

_Reconfiguring this system will allow them to recognise you as an enemy if they detect you… Do you still wish to reconfigure system "Anonymity"?_

'Do it.'

_Configuring… Complete…_

'Alright then, time for some thrilling heroics.'

--

Jason's vision scrambler proved extremely potent in the confined layout of the factory. All machines that he crossed paths with suddenly developed a visual glitch for as long as he was near, rendering him practically invisible, not even Skynet's security systems could detect him.

'I guess Skynet regrets giving me all those upgrades now.'

The plan was simple. Gain access to the command station and order an immediate shutdown of all facilities, then trigger a meltdown, thereby destroying the entire factory as well as its creations. Finding the station wasn't easy, however, and Jason ended up having to hack into the factory's mainframe to download the layout into his implant's archives, a risky move, but nevertheless successful.

With an overlay of the layout in his peripheral, Jason was able to make steady progress to the command station. En route, however, he discovered one of the flesh growth chambers and was struck with an idea. He entered the chamber to witness a triple-8 having its flesh replenished by a grafter. Once the triple-8 had completed its skin re-growth and left, Jason examined the device and quickly figured out how it worked. He then placed his endo-arm into the device and had it graft new flesh onto it, using a sample of his skin to replicate his own flesh. Once finished, Jason's endo-arm looked no different than his original and, with a smug satisfaction; he continued his journey to the command station.

Jason finally arrived at the entrance to the station, only to find it being guarded by two T-900s. This was no problem, however, as both suffered from his vision scrambler. Once inside, Jason hacked into the factory controls and ordered and immediate shutdown of all systems. He then removed the safety barriers from the main reactor and raised its levels beyond stability, causing dozens of alarms to activate. The entire factory was in chaos, every assembly line came to an immediate halt; construction machines crashed or froze, some of them exploded. Jason decided it was time to get out of there.

--

Given the chaos that ensued, Jason was forced to take a short cut through the poly-mimetic research labs. He darted through the many rooms, ignoring the various experiments they contained. In the last room, however, Jason found his progress impeded by an overturned rack of computers.

Before he could start shifting this mess, however, something sharp and silver pierced his shoulder. Jason turned around to find himself staring into the face of mercury and knew his luck had run out.

'Suggestions?'

…?

'Thanks for your help.'

_To be continued…_


	6. Endurance

**Chapter 06: Endurance**

_Calculating… Chances of survival 1/300… Suggestions: evade…_

'And how am I to do that with a poly-mimetic spear in my shoulder?'

In truth, Jason didn't need a strategic analysis to tell him just how dead he was. Any confrontation with a T-1000, no matter the circumstances, was a one-way trip. Regardless, Jason wasn't going to die without a fight.

Jason gripped the spear with his endo-arm and squeezed, the metal cracked and broke beneath his fingers. He then threw himself forwards off of the spear and turned around to face his enemy. The T-1000 hadn't chosen a camouflage yet, and was still in its default humanoid form, but that made it no less dangerous. It held out its arm and formed a long blade, large enough to sever Jason in half and, with one swift movement, slashed at his neck.

Jason ducked, raising his endo-arm to take the strike. The blade left a deep gash in his newly applied flesh, but caused no damage to the arm itself. He then lunged at the 1000, driving his fist deep into its face, which became soft, allowing his hand to pass right through.

'This is going to take all day.'

_Evade…_

Jason wrenched his arm free from the metallic gloop and darted for the door, kicking aside the rack of computers blocking it. As he entered the corridor, Jason thought for a moment that the 1000 wasn't going to pursue. He was quickly proven wrong, however, when its blade pierced his stomach and lifted him off his feet. The T-1000 examined him carefully for a moment, before changing its appearance to mimic Jason.

'Now that's just confusing.'

The 1000 withdrew its blade, letting Jason drop to the floor. It then lifted its foot and was about to crush Jason's face when an explosion erupted somewhere in the complex, making the 1000 sway, and miss its target. Jason took the opportunity to jump to his feet and hurtle down the corridor, but the sound of all too familiar footsteps told him that the 1000 was close behind. Jason didn't get very far before it caught up and threw him into the wall. Jason retaliated by kicking the 1000 in the face, causing it to stagger backwards.

Given its unique nature, the T-1000 was not as strong as other Terminators. Granted, it was more advanced and intelligent, but because of its liquid metal composition, it didn't have the benefit of pistons and servos. This granted Jason a small sliver of hope, as it would take extreme physical dismemberment to stop him. Pain was meaningless, and his enhanced musculature structure allowed for greater applications of strength, putting him on par with the T-1000. However, all of this was meaningless if the T-1000 managed to drive a blade into his cerebrum, which was exactly what it tried to do.

Luckily, Jason was able to turn in time, earning a deep cut on his forehead, but nothing more. He then spin-kicked the 1000's legs, knocking it to the floor, allowing him a little more time to escape, which, as before, was impeded by the T-1000's persistence. They met again at the end of the burning corridor, outside the T-888 construction facility. The T-1000 grabbed Jason and ploughed him through the wall, and then proceeded to throw him onto an assembly line.

Jason quickly came to his senses and got to his feet. The 1000 was making its way over to him, both arms in the shape of scissor blades. Jason picked up a nearby endo-skull and threw it at the 1000, but it simply passed through its chest without taking any damage. Frustrated, Jason snapped a steel welder off of its machine and brandished the improvised weapon at the T-1000, causing it to do a double-take, before charging him regardless.

As the 1000 brought its blades down in a snipping fashion, Jason ducked and drove the welder into its kneecap, causing the T-1000 to twist and fall to the floor. Before it could recover, Jason buried the welder into 

its eyes, temporarily blinding it. He then headed deeper into the facility, ducking and weaving through the various construction machines, desperately trying to escape. Jason pulled the factory layout back into his peripheral and discovered that he was near one of the exits, but he needed to take a shortcut through another construction facility.

As Jason entered the other facility, his arm began to vibrate. A brief analysis revealed that the room contained a powerful magnetic current, most likely used to seal the endo-skulls of some of the more advanced models. Jason ignored the slight tugging effect it had on his arm and continued onward, only to be waylaid by the T-1000, who blocked the exit. Jason gave out a cry of frustration and rage as the 1000 advanced, its blades raised to kill.

The environment was too confined to allow for any manoeuvrability; Jason would just have to take whatever the T-1000 threw at him. In the space of a few seconds, Jason had received a dozen deep punctures and more than a few lacerations, yet he was still capable of fighting back. He grabbed the 1000's arms and delivered a kick to the face. His foot passed right through as the T-1000 reverted back to liquid form. Jason saw this as his chance and stepped through the mass of metal.

However, as he passed through, the T-1000 suddenly engulfed his mid-section and drove a dozen spikes into his abdomen, knocking the wind out of him.

_Warning: significant stomach damage… Further damage will result in an organic system failure…_

Jason dropped to his knees, his injuries finally taking their toll. He couldn't carry on like this; he'd received so many injuries that his body was half-dead. His fate seemed sealed, he was already dead, he knew this. Yet for all the hopelessness of his situation, even as the T-1000 raised its club-shaped arm to smash his skull, Jason was within arm's reach of the controls for the magnetic generator. He smashed the nearest button with his palm and was suddenly pulled to the other side of the room, his arm stuck to the generator. The T-1000 was also held in place, a look of genuine shock on its face.

'I guess they do feel something after all.'

Jason pulled with all his might and, after several minutes of struggling, managed to pull his arm free of the generator and staggered back to the exit. He turned back to see the T-1000 dissolving back into liquid form and spreading across the generator.

"Let's see you get out of this one, you son of a bitch."

Jason then sprinted out of the factory, narrowly avoiding plasma fire from the numerous FKs and began climbing his way out of the canyon. Upon reaching the top of the rocky hill, Jason turned around in time to watch as the factory's core went into full meltdown, causing an explosion that destroyed the entire factory and sending Jason hurtling down the other side of the hill.

--

"Why am I here?"

Jason looked up from his notes and frowned slightly at the girl.

"Sorry?"

"Why am I here?"

Jason thought this an odd question, given how obvious the answer was.

"You're in this room because we need to get your mind working properly. You still need a little work."

"No, I meant; why am I here? What is my purpose?"

Again, Jason found this odd. Surely she knew what John had in store for her.

"Your purpose is to protect John Connor from a Skynet attack."

Cameron looked confused, as always. She seemed to be struggling with something.

"I don't understand. What am I? Am I alive?"

Jason froze. Never before had any machine asked these questions. Was she alive? She possessed existential thought, which could only mean one thing. She had become self-aware.

'I don't believe it.'

Though he always knew she possessed the potential, Jason never thought it would actually occur. Cameron just sat there, waiting for his response.

"You… are alive… but not in the same sense as we are. Do you understand the difference?"

Cameron looked at the floor, quietly contemplating her existence.

"I am a machine, built to mimic a human, but ultimately synthetic. I am an artificial life form. I'm not real."

"No, you are as real as any human. Life isn't defined by how organic you are. If you can think or feel, who cares whether or not your physical body is made from metal. You are what you are."

Cameron slowly lifted her head, locking eyes with Jason.

"And what is that?"

Jason reached out and took her hand.

"Alive."

--

Jason's vision was blurred and his ears were bombarded by the sound of roaring flames. As he gathered his senses, Jason remembered that he'd been blown off of the hill by the explosion and had landed at the bottom. He couldn't get his arms of legs to move, he felt totally numb.

_Analysing… Spine has suffered impact trauma but remains intact… Temporary paralysis will subside in a few hours…_

'Great. That gives Skynet plenty of time to send a bunch of Terminators to investigate.'

Jason closed his eyes and tried to will his fingers to move, with little success.

_Warning: Proximity alert…_

Jason opened his eyes to see a single Resistance fighter standing over him.

"I take it this was your handiwork. Well done."

"Thanks. Connor send you?"

"Yeah, he was concerned that you'd gotten yourself into a spot of bother. I'm guessing he was right."

Jason laughed, but was cut short by a coughing fit; his lung had been punctured again.

"Aside… Aside from a T-1000… So… you gonna help me up? I'm kinda stuck like this for a while."

The fighter called a friendly T-888 to help Jason to his feet.

"We got a vehicle nearby; we'll get you back to HQ in no time."

"Much appreciated."

--

"Sounds like I missed quite the party. You didn't have a tree did you?"

"Sort of."

"What did you put on top?"

"A triple-8 skull."

"Very appropriate."

Jason and John were sharing drinks in the safety of the Resistance headquarters, a vast underground bunker built deep beneath Los Angeles. Jason had since recovered from most of his wounds, though his stomach was still sore, as he discovered when he swallowed the liquor.

"Argh… I guess alcohol really is bad for you."

John smirked. The destruction of the factory had earned Jason quite a lot of praise from the soldiers, despite his history with Skynet. He was now considered as one of them. John was amazed that Jason had survived the venture, especially when told of his encounter with the T-1000. Jason took another swig and winced again before putting the empty glass down. He needed to get something off his chest.

"I met an old man in the wastes. He looked like he'd been living there for a very long time."

John looked up at him; a look of surprise crossed his face.

"What? Like a hermit?"

"Sort of, he was living in an old gas station."

John let out a low whistle.

"I'm surprised there was anyone left alive out there."

"Well he wasn't exactly the picture of health."

"What did he say?"

Jason shifted uncomfortably.

"He thought I was a Terminator."

"Ah, I see. He attacked you, right?"

"Yeah, with a knife, he must have been driven insane by the solitude."

John poured himself another drink.

"And you killed him?"

"Yes. I just reacted, you know. It's what I'm trained to do."

"I get that. You can't argue with your instincts. You were bred for infiltration and assassination. It's what you do."

"I guess that's what separates me from you lot."

"That… and the fact that you have cybernetics wired all over."

Jason laughed. If John, the man who was preordained to save humanity, can see the funny side to his position, then why can't he? Jason decided to put the thought aside and accepted John's offer for another drink.


	7. What You Leave Behind

**Chapter 07: What You Leave Behind**

Lightning… Thunder… White light…

'Is this what it's like to be born?'

The sphere of light dissipated, leaving a naked Jason in the middle of a mountain road, overlooking the "City of Angels". Jason slowly got to his feet, his entire body burned, though he was unhurt. He kept his eyes closed whilst he ran a diagnostic on himself.

_Analysing… Time displacement achieved… 0.0 electrical burns… All systems running at full capacity…_

Satisfied, Jason opened his eyes and, for the first time in his life, looked upon Los Angeles at its peak. The scene brought tears to his eyes and he wondered why Skynet would ever destroy such magnificence.

'The folly of the machine; rarely can it fully appreciate art and beauty.'

Jason took a few steps forward, his feet touching cold tarmac. A brief scan of the climate told him it was winter and, for his luck, one of the very few winters when it snowed in the city. A light blanket of white covered the metropolis; Jason didn't mind the cold even as it bit into his skin. He revelled in the feeling of life before the war, before his own birth. Before he could fully savour the feeling, however, Jason's legs were swept from under him and his head collided with metal, and all went dark.

--

The driver slammed on his brakes and skidded a couple of feet before stopping. He got out of his car and angrily inspected the damage, then looked around to see what he'd hit. Expecting to find a deer or a dog, the driver was shocked when he saw the body of a naked man lying in the road and dissolved into panic. What should he do? Call the cops, the ambulance? _No_, he told himself, _the cops will arrest you, get you done for manslaughter. Maybe I should just leave him. No, they'll find him and use their forensic guys to track it back to you… I need to hide him._

The driver grabbed hold of Jason's legs and dragged him to the side of the road. He then retrieved a shovel from his car and proceeded to drag Jason into the woodlands where he chose a spot and started digging. Once he'd dug a fairly deep hole, the driver bent down to pick up the body.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed his throat and the last thing the man heard was the sound of something cracking, before falling into the emptiness of death.

--

Jason threw the dead driver aside and examined his injuries, which were minor. He looked down at the man and mused that, if he'd called medical assistance instead of trying to bury him, Jason would've spared his life. Jason took the man's clothes and placed his body in the hole meant for him. Once the driver was firmly buried beneath the soil, Jason returned to the road and entered the car. Though he'd driven automobiles in the future, this was a little more complicated, and it took him a few minutes to get used to the stick-shift.

Once he'd figured out how the gears worked, Jason drove into the city and searched for a place to "hang his coat", as John told him. Jason eventually found a small apartment and, despite its Spartan atmosphere, found it to be quite comfortable. He carefully examined his injuries and deduced that he'd need to be more alert and prepared for the unexpected.

--

"Are you serious?"

"Absolutely, you've earned it."

Jason and John stood in the TDE chamber, watching as the machine whirred into life. The year was 2032, and the war between mankind and the machines had finally come to an end; Skynet was destroyed. All across the planet, every single Terminator had become immobile, no longer possessed by Skynet's will. Reconstruction had already begun; humanity had crawled out from beneath its rock and beheld a future free of war. It was all down to one man: John Connor, and now, at the very end, he decided it was time to make good on a promise he'd made five years ago.

"You're actually sending me back."

"Yes. I promised I would, didn't I?"

"Well, yeah. But I never thought you'd actually hold true to it."

John allowed himself a smile. Jason had been his closest friend for five years and had stuck by his side through the greatest of horrors. It saddened him, to have to send his friend away. But promises were promises, and John would never forgive himself if he didn't keep this one. He held out his hand and Jason shook it, a look of utter disbelief on his face.

"Where and when are you sending me?"

"Los Angeles 2007."

"Where you sent Cameron."

"Yes. But try not to interfere with my young affairs too much. Sometimes less is more."

"If I do encounter her… is there anything you want me to tell her?"

John considered for a moment. There was so much he wanted to tell Cameron, and so much he couldn't.

"Just tell her… tell her to hang in there. You know what I mean."

Jason gave him a small wink before stepping onto the device.

"I'll miss you, old man."

"We'll meet again. Take care of yourself, and watch out for crazy drivers."

A flash of light… and he was gone.

--

A flash of light… and she had arrived.

Her mission was simple: find Jason and kill the crap out of him, then find John Connor and kill him. Karen would not allow the destruction of her beloved Skynet to happen twice in her lifetime. She would raise the city to the ground before she let that happen.

She scanned the city and wondered where her ex was hiding. Was he with the Connors, or his pet machine? Either way, it wouldn't matter. She'd find him, and she'd kill him. Karen recalled Skynet's last words to her…

'Make me proud.'

…and promised to live up to her creator's expectations.

--

'How did it come to this?'

A simple question that demanded a complicated answer, perhaps it was his fault, maybe he was the cause of all this. Either way, it didn't matter. Not now that he had a steel pipe running through his stomach.

"You… took it all away. You and Connor… you destroyed… everything that I held dear."

"I guess that makes us even."

Jason was not alone in his pain; Karen was also impaled, not five inches away from him.

Karen had tracked Jason down and chased him across the city, trying in vain to shoot his brains out. Now they were pinned in place, both at death's door, if they were normal humans that is. In truth, they both had a lot of fight left in them, but only one of them had the strength to kill the other. And unfortunately for Karen, it was not her. Jason stroked the side of her cheek with a bloodied hand, one last sign of affection, before using the strength of his endo-arm to snap her neck. It wasn't as violent as he'd expected, just a small click, and she was gone, a small trace of that familiar smile on her lips.

Jason gently kissed her brow and held her limp form close to him, preparing for what he knew would come next. Her body shuddered and suddenly started flailing, trying desperately to claw out his heart. Her cybernetics had reanimated her body to carry out her mission, but such a process was short-lived, and Jason just held her until the implants lost power and her body became limp again.

"Good bye my love, I hope you find the peace Skynet denied you."

Surprising even himself, Jason found a tear fall down his cheek. He'd been so accustomed to burying his feelings in regards to Karen, and was unprepared for the effect that her death would have on him. He silently wept as he realised the magnitude of what lay ahead. If he survives the nuclear apocalypse, he'd have to live through it all again; Judgment Day, the war, Skynet.

Maybe that was what John meant when he said they'd meet again one day. Though Jason doubted it, he was after all, living on borrowed time.

The End

**Author's Note:** Though I originally planned to write ten chapters for this fan fic, I have since decided to cut it down to seven as my ideas were starting to go stale and were ultimately eclipsed by my enthusiasm to write a sequel for my other fic (Cameron's Redemption). Sorry for having to wrap up the story so abruptly. - Raivon


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